Subaru WRX STI on TT record run
Subaru has confirmed the long-standing road-car lap record for the Isle of Man TT circuit has been comprehensively smashed in a production-spec WRX STI saloon.
In his very first run around the challenging 37.8-mile course, former British Rally Champion Mark Higgins posted a blistering lap time of 19 minutes and 56.7 seconds, translating to an average speed of 113mph, the company says. The peak speed achieved during the lap was 162mph.
Higgins' time is more than two minutes faster than the previous record, set by the late Tony Pond 21 years ago to the day (on 6 June 1990), at the wheel of an Rover 827 Vitesse. Pond was the first to break the average 100mph barrier in a road car, and his lap record has stood ever since.
Crucially (as is usual in these matters!) The WRX STI used for the record breaking run was a standard production car, with unmodified brake callipers and with road-legal Pirelli P Zero Trofeo tyres. Springs and dampers were adjusted to minimise any potential damage when the car encountering the various bumps and jumps at high speed along the course. Safety enhancements included a MSA-spec integrated roll cage, race harnesses and an extinguisher system. To help forewarn spectators of the presence of the oncoming car, Subaru says it also fitted the WRX STI with a high-decibel exhaust, although the real reason is probably that a standard STI sounds pretty dull on YouTube - we're still waiting for the in-car video, though...
"Setting the record was both the most exhilarating and the most frightening thing I have ever done," says Higgins. "The rules allow for a flying start, so I crossed the line at 125mph. I then went down through the Bray Hill junction - normally taken at around 20mph - at over 150mph. Once that tricky section was out of the way I settled into the lap and quickly got used to the balance and sheer pace of the car.
The TT crowds got fully behind the record attempt, reports Higgins. "The atmosphere out on the circuit was incredible, especially once the spectators heard over the PA system that we were in the process of setting a new record. I could hear the cheers in the car and it really added to the experience."
The two-wheeled lap record on the TT course was set in 2009 by John McGuinness on a Honda CBR1000RR. McGuinness posted a time of 17 minutes and 12.3 seconds, equivalent to an average speed of 131mph.